found in prokaryotic plants and it provides structural support and protection.

Chloroplasts

convert light/food into usable energy. (ATP production)

Cholesterol

Found in cell membranes, affects the rigidity of the membrane. Also a basic compound used to form man hormones.

Chromatin

Chromosome

A group of genes/DNA that are contiguous, a functional unit. Humans have 23 pairs chromosomes.

Cilia

Hair-like structures.

Cisternae

The flatten sacs of the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum.

Crossover

Genetics term for chromosomes literally crossing over DNA from one chromosome to another.

Cyanophytes

One type of prokaryote (cell without a nucleus).

Cytoplasm

the protoplasm outside the nucleus

Cytoskeleton

Microtubules, actin and intermediate filaments. This produces the support structure/shape of cells. Of course plant cells have a much more rigid shape due to the cell wall.

Cytosol

The 'fluid' portion of the cell, it is made up of water and many free proteins and other elements - all except the organelles.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic Acid, made up of 4 nucleotides: Adenine, Guanine, Thymine, and Cytosine (A,G,T,C).

Element

Element is one atom of a particular substance found on the periodic table. (Things such as Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, etc.)

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

Important for protein synthesis. It is a transport network for molecules destined for specific modifications and locations. There are two types: Rough ER - has ribosomes, and tends to be more in 'sheets'. Smooth ER - Does not have ribosomes and tends to be more of a tubular network.

Eukaryote

A Cell with a nucleus.

Flagella

Gene

A section of DNA molecule that produces a functional RNA molecule

Genetic Material

Globular Protein

Glycolipids

Glycoprotiens

Golgi Apparatus

important for glycosylation, secretion.

Histones

Hydrogen

A common element in organic and living organisms.

Hydrophilic

'likes water' (hydro = water; philic = like). Meaning that a hydrophilic molecule or portion would be attracted to water. Much like the opposite poles of a magnet pulling each other together.

Hydrophobic

'fears water' (hydro = water; phobic = fear). Meaning that a hydrophobic molecule or portion would be repulsed/push-away a water molecule. This would be like trying to put together the same pole of two magnets. Examples: oils, fatty acids (i.e. the 'tails' of phospholipids), cholesterol.

Lipid

Lysosomes

Digestive sacks - the main point of digestion, these are only found in animal cells.

Meiosis

is a type of cell division. See section on meiosis. This occurs for formation of egg/sperm cells, which in the end have 1/2 the normal number of chromosomes, only 1 copy of each chromosome.

Micrometer

A unit of measure in the metric system. 10^-6 meters.

Microtubules

made from tubulin, and make up centrioles,cilia,etc.

Millimeter

A unit of measure in the metric system. 10^-3 meters.

Mitochondria

convert foods into usable energy. (ATP production) A mitochondrion does this through aerobic respiration. They have 2 membranes, the inner membranes shapes differ between different types of cells, but they form projections called cristae. The mitochondrion is about the size of a bacteria, and it carries its own genetic material and ribosomes.

Mitosis

The cell division, that is found in most non-reproductive cells.

Nanometer

A unit of measure in the metric system. 10^-9 meters.

Nitrogen

A common element in organic and living organisms.

Nucleic Acid

Basic Building block for DNA.

Nucleolus

Or densely packed portion of the Nucleus.

Nucleus

(only in eukaryotes) - where genetic material (DNA) is located, RNA is transcribed.

Organelles

(which also have membranes) in 'higher' eukaryote organisms:

Osmosis

The diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane down the water potential gradient (from areas of high water potential to areas of low water potential)

Oxygen

A common element in organic and living organisms.

Peptidoglycan

This is the main component of prokaryotic cell walls, it is made from a large protein polymer and sugar.

Peroxisomes

Use oxygen to carry out catabolic reactions, in both plant and animals.

Phospholipid

See the section of the course on Cell Membranes and specifically phospholipids.

Phosphorus

A common element in organic and living organisms.

Plasma membrane

The surface around the cell made up of phospholipids, proteins, cholesterol, etc.. See the section on the Cell Membrane

Plasmid

Plastids

Prokaryote

Cells without a nucleus.

Protein

Protoplasm

the living material in the cell

Pseudopod

literally means 'False foot'

RNA

Ribonucleic Acid

RNApolymerase

Recombination

Ribosomes

half are on the Endoplasmic Reticulum, the other half are 'free' in the cytosol, this is where the RNA goes for translation into proteins.

Sulphur

A common element in organic and living organisms.

Vacuole

Vesicle

tRNA

Transfer RNA, cool 3D structure. It works with the ribosome and mRNA to form proteins (called translation). It has a 'anti-codon' which will match codons of the mRNA, and also has a amino-acid. The tRNA is a key to the having the Amino-acid match a specific codon on the mRNA, See the Codon Table to see how these are matched in general. Please NOTE: There are differences in how the matches take place in mitochondria and bacteria.